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Communication Skills Study Notes

Course Syllabus

Introduction to communication
- Meaning of communication
- Role of communication in an organisation
- Elements of communication
- The communication process
- Principles of effective communication
- Essential of an effective communication system
- Barriers to effective communication
Types of communication
- Formal and informal communication
- Flow of communication in an organisation
- Grapevine communication
- Internal and external communication
- Interpersonal and intrapersonal communication
- Cross-cultural communication
- E-mail
- Visual communication - graphs/charts/tables/diagrams/pictures
Oral communication
- Meaning of oral communication
- Importance of oral communication
- Types of oral communication - Face to face and telephone conversations
- Effective listening -The listening process, principles of effective listening, listening techniques, barriers to effective listening
- Interviews - Types, purpose, preparation and conduct of interviews
- Persuasive communication - Meaning, objectives, creating persuasive messages, approaches to persuasion
Non-verbal communication
- Meaning and importance of non-verbal communication
- Forms of non-verbal communication
- Effective use of non-verbal communication
- Barriers to effective non-verbal communication
Writing skills
- Sentence construction and paragraph development
- Business letters
- Memorandum
- Posters and notices
- Forms and questionnaires
- Circulars and newsletters
- Advertisements and publicity materials
- Documents used in business transactions - letter of enquiry, catalogue, quotation, purchase order, invoice, credit note, debit note, others
- CVs and resume
Public speaking and presentation
- Effective presentation skills
- Audience analysis
- Selecting and researching the topic
- Preparation and organisation of an effective presentation
- Structure of presentation
- Presentation aids
- Public speeches - Structure and delivery of public speeches
- PowerPoint presentations
Group and team communication
- Group communication networks
- Team communication
- Communicating in virtual groups and teams-group e-mails, what’s app groups, social media
- Meetings - Types, role of members, preparation, conduct, documents used in meetings
- Conferences and symposia
Report and proposal writing
- Types and purpose of reports
- Structure and content of reports
- Types and uses of proposals
- Structure and content of proposals
- Writing of formal reports and proposals
Information technology and communication
- Role and impact of technology in communication
- Communication networks - Internet, intranet and extranet
- Teleconferencing and video conferencing
- Webinar
- Wireless technology
Ethics in communication
1. Role of ethical communication in an organisation
2. Principles of ethical communication
3. Ethical issues in communication
4. Enhancing ethical communication in an organisation
5. Factors influencing ethical communication
6. Ethical dilemmas in communication
7. Handling ethical dilemmas in communication

Sample Reading and Reference Material

Thrill, J and Bovee, C (2017). Business Communication Today (14th edition). Pearson.
Stanton, N (2016). Mastering Communication (5th edition). Wiley.
Taylor, S (2016). Communication for Business: A Practical Approach (4th edition). Pearson.
Floyd, K. and Cardon, P. (2019). Business and Professional Communication. McGraw-Hill.
Kasneb e-learning resources (link on the Kasneb website)
Kasneb approved study packs